The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  *Alma!* Richter cried out to her. He started to sprint towards the doorway.

  An arrow struck the ground where she’d been a moment before. She didn’t respond at first, just focusing on staying alive. Alma flapped her wings and flew sideways. Her feet landed on a wall and she pushed off again, flapping for all she was worth. The skeletons chased after her.

  *No, master! I can come to you, but there are many of them! I do not know how many! Ambush them when they come through the door!*

  Richter didn’t like her suggestion, but he knew she was right. His war party was deadly, but they could easily be overwhelmed by a numerically superior force. He also hadn’t forgotten the high levels of the bodak gatekeepers. It was likely that the monsters further into the dungeon would be even stronger.

  The lack of light in the tunnels was also a factor. In there, his party would effectively be afflicted with a Blind status, and he hadn’t even checked the floor for traps. If the snares were of a sufficiently high level, they might only react to foes while letting the skeletons run right over them. Once again, he realized how blessed he was to have such an amazing familiar.

  He started giving orders.

  “Caulder, make a shield wall ten feet out from the door. Alma’s been attacked. She’s on her way back, but she’s bringing company. Archers prepare to fire into the doorway on my order. On my order! Not before. Imbued shots this time, since we’ve already been discovered. Life magi, stay behind the melee fighters and defend them. Do not spare the mana potions. Everyone reapply the Sun Lotus Poison. Do not kill my familiar!”

  The warband snapped into motion, and Richter began his own preparations. Both of his summoned creatures had returned to wherever they originally came from. They were his primary attack summonings and the cooldowns hadn’t elapsed yet. Thankfully, they were not the only creatures he could call upon. The chaos seed downed a mana potion and began dual casting in quick succession: Summon Weak Gold Fox, Summon Weak Life Wisp and Summon Weak Bile Rats. He quickly formed a mental link with each of them by looking in their eyes. The wisp was just a ball of light, of course, but apparently looking at any part of it was enough.

  Ever since Hisako warned him about summoning too many creatures, he’d been concerned about his summonings slipping his control. She said he would start to feel it if it happened, but so far, none of his creatures had gone rogue. He cast Akaton Evolution on each of the creatures.

  Know This! Your spell Akaton Evolution has evolved your Gold Fox into a Shining Fox, 1 of 3 possible evolutions. Speed increased by +2. Max Number of Heals increased from 5 to 10. Hit Points restored per Heal increased from +100 to +150. Your new creature exudes an aura of Life energy regenerating 1 Hit Point per second within ten feet affecting allies only.

  Know This! Your spell Akaton Evolution has evolved your Life Wisp into a Life Will O’Wisp, 1 of 2 possible evolutions. Defense increased by +1. Max Number of Heals increased to 3. Heal ability is now AoE spell with a radius of fifteen feet affecting allies only.

  Know This! Your spell Akaton Evolution has evolved your Bile Rats into Sickness Rats, 1 of 5 possible evolutions. Attack +3. HPs +30-40 per rat. Bites can transmit a number of weak but communicable diseases.

  The fox’s golden pelt obtained a white streak on both sides, and it began to glow. The wisp had originally been a grapefruit-sized ball of golden light, but after it was struck by Richter’s Chaotic energy hundreds of tiny motes of golden energy began to surround it and it doubled in size. The bile rats were normally sickly looking, underfed things. Thanks to Richter’s Chaos spell, they grew larger and their coats grew healthier, no longer sick themselves but carriers instead.

  Each evolution made the summoned creatures more powerful. After casting Akaton Evolution the third time, Richter felt a slight strain at his mental connection to the summoned creatures. Not just the bond to the rats, but all three of the links… quivered. Richter focused on strengthening them, acting instinctually. The instability disappeared. He had complete control again, but it made him wonder what would happen when he started summoning higher level creatures.

  *I’m almost there, master!*

  Alma’s frantic psychic cry brought the situation back into laser focus. Dual casting so many spells had drained his mana substantially. The potion he’d downed was already restoring a great deal of his MP, but he drank another just to be sure. He cursed the lack of time. He could see the dragonling through the doorway now. There was only time for one more spell!

  Summoning his magic, Richter’s hands began weaving in mirror images of one another. Arcane words of Power fell from his lips and orange-red light surrounded his hands. A golf ball-sized ball of flame snapped into existence between his hands, growing to the size of a tennis ball a second later. By the third second the casting was done, and a baseball-sized ball of fire shot from Richter’s hands. It flew through the open doorway.

  Alma already knew what he was planning. With a synchronicity that was only possible because of their deep psychic bond, she dove directly under the ball of fire and landed. Trusting in her magic, she cast Weak Static Life Shield. A bubble of pure Life energy sprung into being around her. The bodaks, which had never been more than several steps behind, started clacking their jaws together in anticipation of the kill. Then they were immolated.

  The baseball-sized ball of flame had expanded to the size of a beachball by the time it struck the lead bodak. The fireball exploded on contact, flame washing over the skeletons and Alma’s protective bubble. The bodaks lacked any flesh, but three of them still started to Burn. Alma’s shield lost 15% of its health in seconds, but it was still more than enough to keep her safe for a moment.

  *Hold them for just a bit more, my love!* Richter called to her psychically.

  The dragonling had bought the party precious seconds. “Start imbuing!” he shouted.

  While the sprites started pouring mana into their shots, both Richter and Alma started buffing themselves. While the dragonling prepared for battle, the bodaks began raining blows upon her shield. It had only had one hundred hit points to start with, and the fireball had siphoned a good chunk of those only a moment before. Luckily, the Life shield was the perfect defense against the dead. Its base Defense of +3 was increased to +9 when used against Death creatures. Still, against the combined blows of the bodaks it would succumb in seconds. Alma didn’t wait.

  After she buffed herself, she launched her body away from the several dozen bodaks who had been bottlenecked by her shield. As soon as she touched the far edge of the bubble, the shield was dispelled. Several bodaks fell to the ground as they had been braced against the edge of the magic sphere.

  The dragonling shot through the doorway with more bodaks right behind her.

  “Now!” Richter commanded.

  Four imbued arrows shot through the opening and detonated with an earsplitting BOOM! In the confined space of the dungeon the sound was enormous, and everyone in the company gained a Deafened debuff. It was worth it. Bones flew in all directions as the sprites’ group attack, Death Lotus, reinforced the individual imbued arrow strikes.

  The bodaks were not finished though. The ice mage miniboss had erected a shield of its own and protected many of the skeletons from the sprites’ attack. The caster then enchanted the other bodaks, adding ice damage to all of their weapons and extinguishing the flames on the few that had been afflicted with a Burn status. The first of the skeletons reached the doorway with their weapons raised… and promptly fell down.

  Richter hadn’t been idly waiting. In addition to buffing himself, he’d cast Grease on the floor in front of the doorway. The skeletons fell and slid in the dark brown slick, delivered almost to the waiting feet of his war party. Caulder used his new Field Advancement, Rallying Cry. A bellow issued from his throat, increasing the Attack and Defense of the entire warband by +1 for the next five minutes. The war party attacked!

  More bodaks spilled from the doorway. Richter cast Weak Flame, igniting the entire patch of grease.
Every skeleton received fire damage as they entered the room. Some fell, but it didn’t stop them; the battle was joined! One bodak Warrior made it through the grease without falling and ran directly at Richter. The undead was on fire, taking damage every second, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to its large pool of health. It activated the Warrior Talent Lunge. The heavy spear it held shot towards Richter like a bullet. Even the chaos seed’s high stats couldn’t keep up. The best he could do was to sweep his short sword up to deflect the weapon slightly.

  The point of the spear hit him high in the chest. The damn thing punched right through his armor! His chestplate stopped the thrust from going too deep, but three inches still punctured his flesh. Richter growled as the cold enchantment on the blade began to numb his arm. The bodak continued to push, trying to force the spear deeper, but Richter learned a new use of his latest skill. Rather than backpedaling to stop the damage, he activated Cloud Running.

  He had to drop his short sword, but he still had his moonstone mace in his other hand. Gliding on a cushion of air, he was able to grab the weapon just behind the spearhead. With almost no friction, he just had to straighten his arm to remove the weapon from his chest. That, of course, caused even more pain to shoot through him, but he was free. Richter used his Ring of Healing. It only restored thirty-four health, but the effect was immediate. Some of the pain eased. Gritting his teeth, he counterattacked.

  Richter didn’t waste the bodak’s momentum. When his two and half seconds of glide time elapsed, his feet fell to the floor. At the same time, he pushed the spear up and pulled it forward with his left hand. With his right, he swung his mace in a wide haymaker. The Life enchanted weapon struck the skeleton with crushing force, shattering several ribs and fracturing a few vertebrae. The Sun Lotus poison infected the undead creature as well, spreading waves of golden light through its body.

  The bodak let go of its spear, and grabbed Richter’s shoulders. Its empty gaze still somehow radiated malevolence. Bringing up its bony knee, it struck the chaos seed in the face. A fountain of blood erupted from Richter’s nose, and his vision went red. All around him, cries of battle and pain rang out.

  “Motherfucker!” In that moment of pain, Richter lost himself. All he wanted in the world was to hurt the creature that had just hurt him. Richter growled as he wrapped both arms around the bodak’s skeletal legs and lifted it off the ground. “Double leg, motherfucker!” Taking a step forward, he slammed the skeleton down onto its back, his own body on top of it. What they said was true. You could take the man outta the ring, but you couldn’t take the wrestler outta the man.

  The two of them landed with a crash and Richter raised his mace to shatter its skull. Before he could finish his attack, a creature formed of pure white ice struck him with a fist the size of a cinder block. Not only did it knock him through the air, it also left him with a debuff.

  You are Slowed! -28% to Movement and Attack speed.

  As he sailed through the air, Richter caught his first sight of the skeleton that had summoned the ice creature. The Slow debuff was stronger than he could have managed. Not surprising, as the bodak that had summoned it was a Professed Mage. That meant the skeleton was at least skill level forty-five in Water magic, journeyman or higher in rank. A far cry greater than his own paltry initiate rank in Water magic. Richter gritted his teeth as he landed. He fucking hated fighting magi.

  *Kill the caster, love!* he sent to his familiar.

  *What the hell do you think I’m doing?* came Alma’s waspish reply. She banked left, narrowly avoiding an arrow shot by a bodak Warrior.

  Richter was about to send back his own acerbic reply, but he had other things to deal with. The ice monster’s blow had knocked him far to the left. As he got to his feet, he took a split-second to review the battle. Caulder and his men were maintaining their small shield wall though more than fifteen bodaks were attacking them. The guards had taken some hard hits, but the biomancers and Richter’s summoned wisp and fox were healing damage as it came so they were all still on their feet.

  The meidon sprites were firing into the crowd of skeletons, but two skeletal archers were firing back from behind the sortie line. One of his archers was down with an arrow in the neck. As Richter watched, the sprite was downing a health potion with one hand while the other was braced at the impact site in a desperate effort to staunch the bleeding. In the doorway, the skeletal Mage was preparing to cast another spell. Blue light surrounded its hands and it stood in the center of a bubble of protective Water magic. An arrow struck the shield as Richter watched, but despite the extra 10% damage to magic shields imparted by weapons made in the Forge of Heavens, it just plinked off.

  The Mage clearly felt safe behind its protective magic and was taking the time for a longer casting. That probably meant something horrible for Richter’s warband, but luckily, the monster had underestimated Alma.

  The dragonling pointed her body straight at the skeleton and fired her primary attack, Psi Blast. The Deeper Magic of Thought cut through the Basic Element Shield like it didn’t exist. The concentrated beam of psychic energy disrupted the bodak’s casting and triggered a spell feedback. In addition to being afflicted by Stun and direct health damage, the skeleton lost its senses and collapsed backwards. The tip of one bony finger brushed the edge of its shield and the protection disappeared.

  *That’s my girl!* Richter thought to her.

  She didn’t actually respond with words. It was more like a smug and psychic, “Heh!”

  Then Richter didn’t have time to do anything but survive. The Warrior, ice monster and one other sword-wielding bodak were closing on him. The Slow debuff was a real kick in the huevos, but his own Haste buff, the bonus from his armor and his new Impassioned trait really helped defray the damage. Back on his feet, Richter spat a word of Power and cast Weak Mirror Image. With his low skill level of seven in Light magic, it only manifested two other copies of himself. They were mere illusions, but they made the Warrior bodak target the copy on his right. Not wasting the opportunity, Richter pushed off and glided on a cushion of air to attack the monster on his left.

  The ice creature brought a fist back to strike the approaching chaos seed, but a new word of Power was already on his lips. A gout of orange flame shot from his hand, directly into the summoned creature’s chest. It reared back, taking extra damage as Fire magic was anathema to its nature. Richter finished his attack by swinging his mace into the knee of the other bodak. The Life-enchanted weapon swept through the joint. The distal bones of its leg clattered to the ground.

  Richter didn’t stop. He kicked off the ground again, moving past his three attackers and diving into a roll. His hand closed around the hilt of his short sword and he kept running towards the skeleton archers in the doorway. Behind him, the ice creature bellowed, sounding like a rage-filled storm. Heavy thuds made clear it was giving chase. Richter just smiled grimly and thought, come and get me, snowcone.

  CHAPTER 66 – Day 144 – Kuborn 34, 0 AoC

  The battle raged for what felt like hours, but it was actually concluded in the next ten minutes. That sort of time distortion had become commonplace to Richter as war had hardened him. He stood panting and heaving hard breaths. The shattered body of the skeletal mage lay beneath him. All that remained of the skull were teeth and bone fragments. Several more members of the war party had gone down before the battle ended, but both the biomage and Alma had summoned healing creatures of their own which had kept everyone on this side of death’s veil. Without the healing magic, precious few of the party would remain. Even with the magic, three of Richter’s people were out of the fight.

  One meidon sprite had suffered a shattered humerus thanks to the swing of a bodak’s sword. The armor had stopped the cut from going too deep, but the force of the blow had still wreaked serious damage. His arm was fractured in multiple places, something that was beyond the warband’s capabilities to fix. Once again, physics proved that it could be a bitch in any world.

&nbs
p; A second guard had a serious concussion and another had lost an eye. Richter’s magic could heal simple breaks and mend flesh, but it couldn’t regenerate a body part. Neurologic injuries also required a more delicate touch. Richter ordered that the three party members be taken back towards the entrance.

  While the uninjured guards helped them back and everyone else replenished their stamina, Caulder approached Richter, “Orders, my lord?”

  Richter looked at his sergeant and heaved a heavy sigh, “We need to clear this nest. These things are strong, and worse, they’re smart. We can’t leave them here and let them get more entrenched. They would only replenish their strength.” He reached into his bag and pulled out more potions of healing, stamina and mana regen, “Hand these out. We go forward with the warband members we have left.” Richter had considered bolstering their ranks, but the truth was, everyone he had left behind was lacking in both levels and combat experience. In the tight tunnels, less might be more, especially with the war party badges and promotions.

  Caulder clapped his fist to his chest with a strong, “Sir!” Then he walked off and spoke encouraging words to the men. Richter gazed after the man, so thankful to have such a reliable sergeant under his command. The man was worth his weight in gold. A familiar presence settled across his shoulders.

  *I’m so sorry, master,* came Alma’s sorrowful voice, *and I’m sorry I yelled at you during the battle.*

  *Don’t worry, my love. No one died, and Hisako can even restore Tet’s eye. You have saved us so many times, I’m just glad you’re safe.* Richter reached up and brought the dragonling around so he could look at her, *Are you okay?* he asked with concern. This was his first time examining her since the battle, and he knew she’d taken at least one blow with that initial ice blast.

  *I’m fine, master. I have already healed myself. The extra armor you made me saved my life.*